As the Thunder Rolls and the Lighting Strikes
by islashlove
Summary: As thunderstorms lash the city of Santa Barbara, Shawn and Lassiter find themselves trapped by rising flood waters and to make it worst, Shawn is terrified of thunderstorms. Warning: This is a Slash story and there is talk about rape.


**Disclaimer: I do not own anything that is from Psych. **

**Warning: This is a slash story which means same sex relationships. If you don't like it, don't read it. Talk about rape.**

**Beta: Yes, I would like to say thank you to my Beta jerseybelle**

**Author's Notes: ****This story is the response to a one word challenge from the Facebook group Fanfiction .net Writer's Unite. The word this week is Thunderstorms****.**

**Story Notes: As thunderstorms lash the city of Santa Barbara, Shawn and Lassiter find themselves trapped by rising flood waters and to make it worse, Shawn is terrified of thunderstorms.**

**As the Thunder Rolls and the Lighting Strikes **

**Chapter 1: Rain will Fall and Rivers will Rise **

Shawn let out a loud 'YELP' as he covered his ears and curled up into a tighter ball. He had hated thunderstorms most his life, so the last few days had been hell for him. Santa Barbara had been lashed for the last three days by thunderstorm after thunderstorm and he had been too scared to move outside his apartment in case he was caught in one.

At the police station, they were busy preparing to help the people in the low lying areas to move as flood waters had started to rise.

Suddenly, Henry and Gus came racing in. "Has anyone seen Shawn?" Henry asked.

"No!" Lassiter said annoyed, but the truth was he was a little worried that he hadn't seen Spencer in days.

"Maybe he's still at home," Gus said as he pulled out his phone. He had already called Shawn a hundred times since he found out about the storms, but Shawn hadn't answered any of them.

"You won't get through, the phone lines and towers are down," Juliet added. "Why are you so worried; surely Shawn has found a safe place to stay."

"That depends on where Shawn was when the storms started."

"What do you mean, Mr. Spencer?"

"Well, Detective Lassiter, Shawn has a really big fear of thunderstorms. So if he's caught in one, he'll crawl into the smallest space he can find and stay there. He won't move."

Lassiter thought about this. He was on the phone with Spencer, when the first storm hit and as far as he knew, Spencer was at home at the time. He also remembered how the phone had just gone dead and that Spencer's place was is one of the low lying areas which had already been evacuated.

"I'm sure Spencer is at one to the evacuation centres and just can't get in contact with anyone," Lassiter said before excusing himself to go and do some work.

"I'm sure Lassiter is right and Shawn is fine. Here, this is the list of all the evacuation centres. Why not go around and see if you can find him, but be careful."

"Gus, you go and I will stay and help out here and if you find him, try and see if you can get Shawn to come here."

"Yes, Mr. Spencer," Gus then looked over to Juliet. "Catch you later." Juliet only replied with a smile.

"McNab, I've got to duck out for a while, cove for me," Lassiter said as he walked past the young officer.

"Of course, Detective," McNab replied as Lassiter disappeared down the stairs.

As Lassiter walked out of the station, he wrapped his rain coat closer. The wind ripped at his body and the rain felt like needles as they hit his bare skin. The clouds were hanging low in the sky and they looked black and menacing.

As another roll of thunder echoed across the sky, Henry's words also echoes in his mind. _'Shawn has a really big fear of thunderstorms!'_ Quickening his steps, Lassiter made his way to his car and drove off.

The normally ten minute drive took twenty five minutes. Some of the time wasted was him trying to get past the road blocks, but once he showed his badge and explained that he believed that there was someone still trapped in the area, he was let through.

Pulling up at Spencer's front door, Lassiter stepped out to ankle deep water. Looking around the water was just as dark as the clouds and just as cold as the rain. He hoped that he would find Spencer quickly and that it wouldn't be too hard to get Spencer to leave. Headed into the old building, Lassiter cursed a little when he realised that Spencer lived on the second floor. Walking up the stairs, Lassiter was surprised to find a lot of the apartment doors boarded up.

Reaching Spencer's door, Lassiter banged on it, hard and loud. When he got no response, Lassiter tried the door knob, only to be surprised that the door opened. Walking in, Lassiter took out his torch as he called out Shawn's name, but at the same time another roll of thunder hit.

Thinking hard, Lassiter tried to work out where Spencer would be hiding. Entering each room, he looked around but found nothing, but when he entered the bedroom, his eyes went to the bed straight away and how the sheets seemed to be moving.

"Spencer?" Lassiter asked as he lifted the sheet and looked under the bed. There he found Shawn, curled up in a tight ball, arms wrapped around his head. "Spencer!" Lassiter snapped as he reached under the bed, trying to get his attention.

It seemed to work, as Shawn unwrapped himself a little and looked at Lassiter. But instead of seeing a look of relief on Spencer face, it was pure fear in his eyes.

"NO!" Shawn screamed, "Please no, not again." The words became muffled as Shawn pulled himself back into the tight ball.

Lassiter couldn't understand Spencer's reaction, unless... "Spencer, it me, Detective Lassiter, you're safe now." Lassiter hoped his words were comforting enough, the fear that someone might have hurt the fake psychic pulled at his heart strings.

Shawn once again uncurled himself, but this time Lassiter turned the torch towards himself so Shawn could see his face. The fear stayed, but Spencer seemed to be a little more relaxed this time.

"Lassie?"

"Yeah, Spencer, it's me. Come on, we need to get out of here before the flood waters get too high."

Just as Shawn reached out his hand, another roll of thunder hit and Shawn recoiled his arm and covered his ears. _'Man, Spencer really is scared of thunderstorms'_ Lassiter thought. "Spencer, I've got you, come on, you're safe with me."

Shawn looked at Lassiter, then his hand and then back at Lassiter. Nodding, he reached out again, this time taking hold of Lassiter's hand. Lassiter helped Shawn out from under the bed.

"Sorry, I ..." Another clap of thunder and Shawn wrapped his arms around Lassiter's waist and buried his head into the older man's chest.

"You really don't like thunderstorms, do you?"

"No, I don't! Bad memory; a memory I wish I could forget." Lassiter looked at Spencer, the fear in his eyes and voice was so real.

"Well, let's get going before we get trapped."

Shawn nodded against Lassiter's chest and then realised what or rather who, he was holding onto. Letting go, Shawn blushed a little, before they started to head towards the door. As Lassiter's ears picked up the sound of a forming roll of thunder, he reached out and grabbed Spencer's hand. He wasn't going to let the younger man disappear on him.

Shawn did go to bolt, but when Lassiter's hand wrapped around his, it calmed him a little. With the thunder, the memories returned and Shawn still closed his eyes, but he breathed deeply and kept following the detective.

"I can't believe none of your neighbours made sure you left with them."

"I don't have any neighbours, I live here alone."

"Why would you..." Lassiter froze as he stepped into water. They were only a half way down the stairs, which meant the water would be well over his car and that it would be too deep for them.

"I'm sorry, Lassie, you shouldn't have come looking for me. There are a lot better people out there that could use your help and ..."

"Shut up, Spencer!" Lassiter snapped, "We need to go upstairs." Lassiter turned and pushed Shawn in the right direction. "Sorry, I didn't need to snap, but you need to understand that I just couldn't...it was my duty to come and find you."

"And now you might die because of it."

"Spencer," Lassiter said shaking his head.

They climbed to the top floor and Lassiter found one of the apartments they could get into. The whole time Lassiter watched Shawn. The more they stayed together, the more relaxed he became. Oh, he still flinched and covered his ears when the thunder rolled in, but he didn't freeze or freak out either, but Lassiter also noticed something else, whenever his touched him, Shawn tensed up and gave him a nervous glance.

"So Spencer, I would have thought you of all people would love storms."

"I use to, when I was a kid, but then ..." Shawn crumbled as the loudest clap of thunder exploded above them.

Seeing this, Lassiter quickly makes his way to Shawn and put his arm around him. His heart breaking to see the normally strong man, so weak, so vulnerable. But when his hand touched Shawn's shoulder, the reaction he got, was like the one when he found him under the bed. It wasn't a good one.

"No!" Shawn screamed, as he swung around striking Lassiter in the face. "Please, no more!"

Lassiter was just quick enough to grabbed Shawn's wrists when he swung back around. Shawn was fighting hard and Lassiter had seen that glazed look in rape victims before when they were reliving, in their minds, the attack.

"Spencer, calm down."

"No, please, no more," Shawn cried as he stopped fighting and collapsed on the floor in a sobbing mess.

Lassiter sat down beside Shawn and pulled him close and they sat there. Lassiter didn't say a word, he just let the younger man finish crying before handing Shawn a handkerchief.

"You want to talk about it?"

"About what?" Shawn said before blowing his nose.

"About the rape."

"Rape?" Lassiter felt Shawn tense in his embrace. "I wasn't..."

"Spencer, I know that reaction and that look you had in your eyes. Was he caught?"

"No, and except you now, no one else knows. Not even my dad."

"Why?"

"I was a kid. I'd just had a fight with Dad and I ran away from him. Back then, I loved storms, especially thunderstorms. Use to love to sit down and watch the lighting and listen to the thunder as it rolled across the sky as it chased the rain. But then, that day, I was caught in one and I sought shelter in a cave near the light house. I knew Dad was going to be mad at me, but I didn't care. I just sat there watching the lightening show. What I didn't know until it was too late, was that someone was already in the cave. He grabbed me from behind and..."

"It's ok, I can work out what he did to you," Lassiter interrupted so Shawn didn't have to go into detail.

"He kept telling me to scream all I liked as no one would hear me over the thunder and he was right. Now, every time a thunderstorm hits, all I see is him and what he did to me. Dad and mum thinks it's just because I was caught in the storm. I couldn't bring myself to tell them the truth. I guess it's another reason for you to hate me."

"I don't hate you, Spencer. In fact, quite the opposite. I'm in love with you, but knowing that you and I could never be together, I try to push you away with the way I act."

"You...love me!" Shawn said as he looked deep into Lassiter's eyes. "I would have never guessed that. I'm so good reading people, but you...I never could read you. But...why couldn't we be together? What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything, it was me." Shawn gave Lassiter a curious look, so he continued. "Look at me. I'm nothing. You on the other hand, you're beautiful. You're handsome and smart. You love going out and socialising. You have friends. Me, there's a joke. All I am, is an antisocial drunk that's not worth the time of day."

Shawn reached up and cupped Lassiter's face in his hand. The touch was so tender, so soft, Lassiter was sure it had been done by an angel. "You're worth it," Shawn whispered as he leaned up and gently kissed Lassiter on the lips. It was only a quick one, but it was the best kiss Lassiter had ever had.

"Shawn," once again thunder rolled over their heads. It was quieter and even though Shawn still flinched, there wasn't as much fear in his eyes. "I will protect you."

"I know you will, but who will protect us right now. I mean, we're trapped here. Does anyone know that we're here?"

"No. Your dad and Guster arrived at the station and that's how I knew you were afraid of storms and since I knew you were at home when the first storm hit, I just...I just wanted to get to you."

"So no one knows?"

"No, I just told McNab that I had to go out and do something and for him to cover for me."

"Great, we finally admit how we feel about the other and ..."

"Shawn, Lassiter," Juliet's voice entered through the door.

"O'Hara!" Lassiter shouted out.

The door opened and revealed Juliet. "There you two are."

"How...?"

"When you didn't return, McNab told me that you left the station to do something. I checked with the road blocks and one said you went through, because you were sure someone was trapped in the area. Shawn lives here, so we just got a boat and hoped for the best."

"Good detective work, Detective."

"Thanks, so shall we?"

Lassiter and Shawn looked at each other and then Lassiter got up and walked over to Juliet. It was now that he realised that Shawn hadn't moved.

"Spencer?"

"I can't, the storm, the thunder...I just can't."

"The storm has finished Shawn. The sun is out and..."

"No! I can still hear it."

"Just give us a second."

"Ok," Juliet said giving Shawn another look, before she left the two men alone.

"Shawn, do you trust me?"

"Yes, Carlton, but..."

"Then take my hand and let's get out of here so later we can talk about us."

"You mean that? That once we leave here, you still want there to be an 'us'?"

"Yes, I want there to be an 'us'. So what do you say?" Lassiter asked as he held out his hand.

Shawn thought about it for a second. He then smiled and grabbed Lassiter's hand and with that they walked out to find Juliet together, so they could go home.

**The End**

**Thank you for reading and reviewing my story.**


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